The Golden Ticket Frenzy
by suburbantimewaster
Summary: When Scarlett Rivera's childhood friend, Willy Wonka, calls her about The Golden Ticket Contest, it's up to her to not only advertise it but keep an eye out for the winners. Meanwhile, her mooching brother, Ken, is in town and needs a place to stay. Can Scarlett help Willy keep track of the contest while dealing with her family issues?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ 2005 version of Scarlett. She's a little different from 1971 Scarlett. I'd like to thank Mircosedy for PMing with me about _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ and kaafan10 from deviantart for role-playing it with me and rekindling my interest in Willy Wonka. I'd also like to thank my beta-reader who helped me rewrite this chapter. If you recognize it from the movie, I don't own it.

* * *

Scarlett Rivera woke up to the sound of her cell phone playing a MIDI file of "Numb" by Linkin Park. She buried her face deeper into her pillow and threw the covers over her head, hoping that whoever was calling would stop. Her head was aching with a hangover the size of Texas, and the ringing was only making the pain worse. Scarlett looked at her digital alarm clock and saw that it was six in the morning. As a freelance artist, she had many clients but only one of them was audacious enough to call her at this hour— and he was her biggest client yet.

Scarlett answered her phone. "Willy, do you have any idea what time it is?" she asked groggily, in her smooth, southern accent.

"Hey! How'd ya know it was me?" Willy asked.

"Because normal people wait until the afternoon before they disturb their friends," Scarlett told him with a groan. "What do you want?"

"There's a problem that's not my problem," Willy giggled, and then went on excitedly, "Rise and shine, Scarlett. I've got big news!"

"Later," Scarlett said and hung up the phone, opened the top drawer of her night stand and threw it in there, slamming the drawer shut. Then she threw the covers over her pounding head and went back to sleep. Well, she would have, if her phone hadn't started ringing again.

Scarlett opened the drawer and answered her phone as she put her left hand on her head, feeling the pounding get worse.

"Scarlett, I said 'rise and shine'," Willy said irritably. "I've got big news."

"Fine, Willy. What is it?" Scarlett asked, exasperated.

"Nuh uh. No way. I'm not saying over the phone," Willy responded in his 'I've got a secret' tone. "Bugs bug me, and airwaves are worse. Come to the Factory."

Scarlett groaned under her wooden headboard that had a painting of "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh—a copy, since there was no way in hell Scarlett could afford the original, right above it. To the left of her bed was a brown, wooden night stand with a desk lamp on top of it. _Beneath the headboard, Scarlett lifted her red comforter, with its flower designs, and got out of her queen sized bed._

Scarlett's feet touched the plush, white carpet that matched the white walls. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she looked towards the closed window, with its blinds shut, that overlooked the street below her penthouse apartment. A laundry hamper stood in the right hand corner, almost full with dirty clothes. Scarlett made a mental note to do some laundry when she could.

Right across from her bed was a dresser that was the same brown wood as the night stand, its surface covered by a jewelry box, a huge collection of books, and her iPod mini, being charged at the very edge. A mirror connected to the dresser, showing Scarlett's reflection perfectly: her thick, flaming red hair was sticking out all over; her heart-shaped face was slightly puffy, and felt a little oily; bags were clearly visible around her almond-shaped, emerald-green eyes; and barefoot, she was wearing a light blue shirt with a picture of Spock on it and a pair of loose gray shorts.

Scarlett always did look like a train wreck when she first got up.

"All right, just give me a few minutes and I'll be there," Scarlett told him as she switched the light on, and went to the living room.

* * *

White walls surrounded the living room's walnut floor. The couch was dark brown, covered by a white slipcover, with two red pillows, one on each side, and one white pillow in the middle. Her television set was a large, silver flat screen, with a Tivo box underneath it, and a silver DVD player beside it. Beside that was a black shelf of DVDs, including Star Trek, Harry Potter, and Dangerous Liaisons. Between the TV and the couch was a light brown wooden coffee table with dark brown legs. On the coffee table stood two empty wine glasses, along with a few Wonka candy bar wrappers; mementos of last night's handsome visitor, whose name Scarlett didn't remember.

An elliptical stood beside the couch and faced the TV. Various paintings decorated the walls: the "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo Da Vinci (again, a copy), Van Gogh's "Cafe Terrace at Night" (another copy), a painting Scarlett bought at an art fair depicting the ocean depths and its various wildlife, such as the blue whale, and the clown fish, and another painting purchased from an art fair showing a Greek forest, with a beautiful half naked-woman, the nymph Echo, longing for the gorgeous man, Narcissus, as he gazed lovingly at his reflection in a pond. A couple of windows overlooked the city, with a few potted plants lining the windowsills.

"You're not going back to bed, are you?" Willy asked suspiciously.

"Of course not," Scarlett told him, her voice sounding far more awake than earlier. "I'm just going to drink a Prairie Oyster, make myself an espresso, get dressed and then I'll drive over."

"In that order?"

"Yes. Why?"

"You need a Prairie Oyster?" Willy asked slyly, and then raised his voice. "Are you HUNGOVER?"

Scarlett put her hand to her head, her skull screaming. "Yes," Scarlett told him firmly.

"Silly girl," said Willy, softening his voice. "Hey. Ya know what'd be really neat? Me making a candy that'd let you drink all you want, without any nasty side-effects."

"Yeah, you let me know how that works out," Scarlett said apathetically, and then felt a surge of energy come over her. "Wait a minute, what?"

"No, really. I'm serious- no hangover, no headache, no heaving, no salmonella poisoning," Willy told her, making sure to keep his voice soft.

"You do realize there's no way MADD would let you put that product on the market," Scarlett told him as she turned the light off in the living room and went to the kitchen, turning the light on there.

* * *

The kitchen also had a wooden floor, and many wooden cabinets on the right hand wall. A silver refrigerator with a small freezer compartment on top of it leaned on the wall in front of Scarlett. Right next to it were two sets of wooden drawers, with an oven and stove between them. The wooden drawers on the right had an espresso machine and a can of sugar on the counter above them. The wooden drawers on the left had two canisters, one of salt and one of pepper, a coffee machine, and a bottle of olive oil on the counter above them. In the middle of the kitchen was an island counter with a built in sink, filled with dirty dishes. A cabinet was right below the sink, with a white dishwasher to the left of it. In the left hand corner of the room was a wooden table surrounded by four wooden chairs, with a vase of artificial red roses in the center.

"Who's MADD?" Willy asked. "I'm not."

"Mothers Against Drunk Driving," Scarlett explained as she removed an egg carton from the refrigerator. "And, if you market a product like that, I guarantee you'll have another lawsuit on your hands," Scarlett said as she took a wine glass from the cabinet, and placed it on the counter. "Remember the guys who tried to sue you because they claimed your chocolate made them fat?"

Willy gave a high pitched laugh. "Of course I do. But their claims were fatuous," Willy said, in that happy tone that he always used when he was talking about fools.

Scarlett laughed as she took Tabasco sauce from the cabinet and placed it next to the wine glass. She took a bottle of Worcestershire sauce and placed it on the counter next to the wine glass as she remembered that ridiculous lawsuit and how it inspired Willy to create a chocolate that burns fat. Scarlett made a mental note to ask Willy how progress was going on that when she visited the factory.

"The point is, you don't want to invite more trouble," Scarlett told him as she took the two shakers of salt and pepper and placed them on the counter next to the wine glass. "Especially if you want to go through with this big plan of yours."

"The point is, hangovers are their own reward," snapped Willy, miffed at Scarlett's unasked for council. "Why should I spoil that? I'd never make such a thing." He paused. "Except for my friends. My friends not operating heavy machinery, that is."

"Then I hope I stay your friend," sighed Scarlett, thinking from Willy's tone she may have overstepped. "Because this hangover is killing me. I'd love to talk more, but I really have to go."

"Okay. How fast ya gettin' here?" Willy asked.

"I still have to make an espresso and get dressed, so it will be a while," Scarlett told him.

"There's a coffee shop in your building," Willy told her. "Can't you just get dressed, get an espresso from there and get to the factory?"

Willy's idea clicked in Scarlett's head. "Well, I didn't think of that, now did I," Scarlett told him, feeling really stupid.

"You forgot that there was a coffee shop in your building?" Willy asked in disbelief.

"You got me up at six in the morning," Scarlett said irritably. "So forgive me if I'm not at the top of my game."

"Well, I wasn't about to wait until noon," Willy defended as Scarlett heard a loud explosion on the other end of the phone. "Gotta go—, just get here."

"All right, bye," Scarlett said, and then hung up the phone, placing it on the counter next to the espresso machine.

Scarlett cracked the egg in the glass, careful to leave the yolk unbroken, thinking about how she first met Willy Wonka. It was just a nice little park in Texas and his family was on vacation. She was drawing the scenery and he was looking over her shoulder to see what she was doing. Scarlett dosed the yolk with a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce as she remembered how he apologized, and shyly told her that it was a beautiful drawing. Then Scarlett smiled as she sprinkled salt and pepper and two dashes of Tabasco sauce in the glass. "Who would've thought that shy little boy would grow up to run his own chocolate empire?" Scarlett muttered to herself as she raised her glass, smelling the raw egg mixed with the spicy ingredients.

Scarlett downed the contents in one gulp, and gagged at what felt like a huge ball of spicy snot, running down her throat. Her headache decreased to a dull throb as she placed the empty glass down, and went to get dressed.

* * *

A while later, Scarlett took a look at herself in the mirror and smiled. Her lustrous red hair fell slightly past her shoulders, in loose natural waves. Her heart-shaped face was powdered in blush and eye shadow that was the same color as her skin, slightly pale, hiding her few flaws perfectly. She wore a blood-red tank top that displayed a bit of her buxom cleavage, along with a pair of black jeans that outlined the curves of her hourglass figure divinely. A pair of black combat boots finished the look off.

Scarlett was a complete knockout, and, if she ever forgot it, there were always plenty of men who would remind her. Willy Wonka was not one of them. She grabbed a black leather jacket from her closet and put it on, not even bothering to zip it up, along with her red and silver striped helmet with a black visor and left to meet Willy, wondering what news he would have that could possibly be so important.

* * *

A/N: **Attention! Scarlett Rivera 2005 now has her own Tumblr account! The link can be found here (scarlettrivera2005 . tumblr . com). Make sure to remove the spaces. **Anyway, I've been using Azaleas Dolls to create my OCs. Since Azaleas Dolls is a dollmaking game, it's not a perfect creation of them. So, imagine my characters how you want to and don't let my creations ruin them. Also, when I get a random plot bunny, I like to write the first chapter out, find a beta-reader and then continue the story after serious re-editing of the first chapter. The Prairie Oyster came from _Cowboy Bebop_, and the reference about people trying to sue Willy Wonka for his chocolate making them fat came from a similar case with McDonalds. Last but not least, this fanfic takes place in the summer of 2004. I'm well aware that the movie was released in 2005, but the Golden Ticket winners didn't get to go to the factory until February 1st, and I'm sure this took a great deal of planning.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm back with the second chapter. I'd like to thank Mircosedy and LinkWonka88 for reviewing. This story's not as popular as _Unexpected_, but still fun to write. In answer to LinkWonka 88, not only have I seen _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, I grew up on it. Let me put it this way, when other girls wanted to be princesses, I wanted to be a vampire slayer. However, next time you have a hangover, a Prairie Oyster wouldn't be a good idea. Just drink a ton of water before bed— that's what I do. I'd also like to thank my beta-reader. If you recognize it from the Wonka community, I don't own it. I came up with a new idea and edited the first chapter accordingly. Just read the very last paragraph of it before you read this one.

* * *

Her long tresses trapped by her helmet, Scarlett sped along the highway on her Harley-Davidson, enjoying the rush. She did have a car for other occasions, but to Scarlett, this was the best way to get around. There was nothing more exhilarating than letting the scenery fly by, while taking in all the sights, sounds, and scents of the route. With no windows or pillars blocking her view, the sky was the limit. Scarlett got so into her ride, she wasn't even paying attention to where she was going; it was as if the motorcycle were guiding her, and all she had to do was become one with it. Or it could be that she went to visit Willy's factory so often, she knew the route by heart.

Scarlett parked at the back of the factory, and knocked on the large door. She waited until the slit in front of her opened to reveal a pair of beady eyes staring back at her.

"I'm here to see the Wizard," Scarlett remarked.

The Oompa-Loompa closed the slit, and opened the door a few minutes later, revealing a long, dark red corridor, with a step ladder to the side. Scarlett turned around to see the Oompa-Loompa hanging in the air and holding the doorknob.

"Need any help getting down?" she asked.

The Oompa-Loompa shook his head and dropped on the ground, landing gracefully on his feet. Scarlett took her jacket and helmet off, threw them both on the floor, and continued down the corridor. With its long hallways and twists and turns, the place was a maze. Thankfully, Scarlett knew Willy's factory like the back of her hand, and easily made her way to the Chocolate Room.

Scarlett took in the sights of the room: the chocolate waterfall, with its flowing river; the grass that tasted of mint; the trees and bushes that were made out of pure candy. She closed her eyes and let her nose take in the intoxicating aroma. Maybe just one blade of swudge wouldn't hurt.

"Hi, Scarlett," a high voice Scarlett recognized as Willy's said, interrupting her thoughts.

Scarlett jolted back to reality and turned to face Willy. "How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?"

"Evidently, not enough times to make a difference," Willy said. "And walking is not sneaking."

"When you startle someone, it's sneaking," Scarlett stated.

"It's not my fault you're amazed every time you walk in here."

"You're the one who had to make the room so beautiful," Scarlett said, as she bent down and picked a blade of swudge. "You could've just settled for the chocolate waterfall, but no, you had to go all out."

Willy laughed gleefully. "Just the river by itself would be boring. You know that. And you'd think by now, you'd be used to it."

"And take you for granted?" Scarlett said in disbelief. "Not in this life."

As she sucked on the blade of swudge, savoring the minty taste in her mouth, Willy smiled at her.

"So, what did you call me here for?" Scarlett asked.

"Are you hungry?" Willy asked, as four Oompa-Loompas landed a small pink boat on the shore. It was only slightly larger than a canoe, with benches for the Oompa-Loompas rowing it, and two others, staggered in height.

"Considering that I didn't eat anything before coming here, yeah," Scarlett said, boarding the boat. "So, what's this about?"

"I'll tell you during breakfast, Lette. Let's go!" Willy said, using her childhood nickname.

"So, you wake me up at six in the morning, tell me to rush right over, and then make me wait for the news," Scarlett summarized, looking at her surroundings as the Oompa-Loompas' wooden oars dipped into the chocolate river. "If your factory wasn't so beautiful, I'd be really pis..." She caught herself. "Angry right now."

Willy just grinned.

As the Oompa-Loompas rowed, Scarlett relaxed on the bench above them and watched the scenery pass her by. The boat headed into a dark tunnel. Willy, from the top bench, immediately ordered the Oompa-Loompas to turn on the lights, as the ride became a roller coaster, and then the boat stopped at the Inventing Room.

In the room were the typical beakers and machines Scarlett expected to see, and something she didn't expect: a charred, deformed metal vat, surrounded by Oompa-Loompas holding fire extinguishers. There was also a not very nice smell.

"Ick! What's that horrid smell?" Scarlett wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"You noticed that?" Willy was moving toward the vat.

"Yeah," deadpanned Scarlett. "With my nose."

Willy sighed. "That's what left of the latest fat-burning chocolate batch."

Scarlett kept her distance. "The explosion I heard? Still not working, I take it?"

Willy shook his head. "The problem's not it's not not working. It's working too well. It burns the fat we put on top of it, and everything else to boot. Just look at my poor vat."

The Oompa-Loompas commiserated with him, as they all stood looking at the wreckage, dripping foam.

"Oh well," said Willy, turning away. "I'll get it yet. Just see if I don't. Come on!"

Willy led her to a door behind the great gum machine, and opened it to reveal a darkened corridor with a faint light at the end. They followed it to find an archway, leading to an indoor English garden, decorated with several exotic plants that gave off an intoxicating scent, that unlike the odor in the Inventing Room, Scarlett inhaled deeply. Despite their perfume, and Scarlett's hunger, she knew better than to pick the plants and start eating them.

In the corner were a few pink lights that reminded Scarlett of the Perry-Plum fairies. According to legend, Perry-Plum fairies were only seen by a lucky few, because they tended to appear only once a millennium, and, even then, only at night. At a distance, they looked like little balls of light, which reminded Scarlett of Tinkerbell, from _Peter Pan_, or Navi from _Ocarina of Time_.

Willy thought it would be fun to make glowing cotton candy figurines that resembled the mythical fairies, and put a few of them in the garden, because he thought they would be pretty. Scarlett, on the other hand, was inspired to paint pictures of what they might look like close up, and had done that.

In the middle of the garden was a table covered by a white, silk cloth. On the table were two plates, each with scrambled eggs, bacon, and chocolate chip pancakes; two cups, one with coffee, cream, and sugar, and the other with hot chocolate; and two glasses of orange juice. Several chairs surrounded the table, and Scarlett took one. Willy sat across from her.

"Willy, would you please pick a different seat?" Scarlett asked.

"Why?" Willy asked innocently.

Yeah, what _was_ wrong with Willy sitting across from her she thought, as she gazed into his deep, almond-shaped, violet eyes, in his abnormally pale face, with a few strands of his chin length, chocolate-brown hair falling in the way of his cheek? That thought made Scarlett realize exactly what was wrong with it. It didn't help that his black shirt and pants, along with his red frock coat, black top hat, and black boots were a brilliant contrast to his pale skin and dark hair, or that his hands were covered in lilac gloves. The cotton candy fairy lights fluttering among the leaves certainly weren't helping matters.

"Nothing, never mind," Scarlett said, as she took a bite of her food. "Anyway, what did you call me here for?"

Scarlett continued staring at her food, while Willy answered. "Yesterday, when I was getting my hair cut, I found a silver hair."

Scarlett scoffed. "You called me all the way over here because you're having a mid-life crisis?"

"Says the pot, calling the kettle black,'" Willy said, with a hint of anger.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Scarlett said defensively.

"True or false, you bought a motorbike because you felt old."

Scarlett stabbed the eggs with her fork, and met Willy's eyes with a vicious glare. "I bought that because I _like to go fast_."

With a nervous smile, Willy looked away from Scarlett's eyes and gulped. "Well, anyway, in that silver hair, I saw my life's work. When I die, there will be no one left to make delicious candies, no one left to look after the Oompa-Loompas. The Factory will die with me."

"Then you'll just have to not die," Scarlett suggested.

"Scarlett, I'm talking about my life's work, and you're cracking jokes!"

"I'm serious," Scarlett said, taking a bite of her eggs. "There's always the Wonka-Vite."

Wonka-Vite was a pill that de-aged the taker twenty years. Willy came across it by accident a few years ago, but it took over a hundred tries to get the pill exactly right, and the Oompa-Loompas nearly paid a great price for it. At least, that's what Willy told her. Scarlett was back in Texas dealing with family issues. She shuddered as she thought about how Willy had gone alone to Minusland, to rescue over a hundred Oompa-Loompas before the Gnoolies bit them, risking being bitten himself. Scarlett still felt guilty about not being there.

"They are far too valuable to waste on me," Willy said, shaking his head and waving his finger.

"Well, you can waste them on me when I get old. In the meantime, you're talking about leaving a chocolate factory with no one to run it when you die," Scarlett said, taking a sip of hot coffee. "I don't know about you, but I'd call that a waste."

"Yeah, but I think it would be better to just find a hair," Willy said, taking a bite out of his scrambled eggs and giggling. "Oh wait. Scratch that. I already did that. I mean, I should just find an heir."

"Okay, that could work," Scarlett acknowledged. "How do you plan to go about finding one? Have kids all around the world send in applications and go through each one?"

"No way! Do you have any idea how many boring letters I'd have to read through? Paperwork is nightmare enough," Willy said, and then snapped his fingers. "Unless, I have _you_ go through the applications. I'll invite the ones you pick to my Factory, with the promise of a lifetime's supply of chocolate!"

Scarlett paused.

"Well, what do you think?" Willy asked, taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

"Your plan is to make me go through all the boring applications, while you lure unsuspecting children to your factory with the promise of candy?" Scarlett said, taking a bite of her bacon. "Tell me, are you planning to pick up these children with a van?"

"Great idea!" Willy said gleefully. "No, I got better one!" Willy snapped his fingers. "I'll have a worldwide contest, and let the winners come to the Factory! Wouldn't that be fun?"

"With their parents?" Scarlett asked hopefully.

"Why would they need their p-p-," Willy began, gagging on the word "parents" the way Scarlett gagged on her Prairie Oyster.

"Because no parent would want their kids traveling to a strange location without adult supervision," Scarlett explained, taking another bite of her eggs. "Well, some parents would, but not very good ones."

"Are you saying my Factory is a strange location?"

"To them it is. You're not arguing about the adult supervision?"

"Naw. Thinking about it,_ I'm_ darn sure not gonna do it. So all right... but only one!" Willy said firmly, then changed his tone. "We'll pick the winners by putting a prize inside the chocolate bars for the children to find."

"What kind of prize?" Scarlett asked, taking a bite of her pancakes.

"Uh-uh-uh," Willy said, shaking his finger. "First, we figure out how many children. I was thinking ten."

"Ten?" Scarlett said confused. "I think seven might be better."

"Why seven?" Willy asked.

"Because seven's a lucky number," Scarlett explained. "There will be seven _Harry Potter _books—"

"How do you know?" Willy cut in.

"Pretty much everyone knows that. In the very first book, they said that Hogwarts has a seven year program, so—"

"So you don't know," Willy cut in.

"Will you stop interrupting, please? Forget I mentioned _Harry Potter_. We can count them up when the series ends, and see who's right. Now where was I—"

"Hogwarts," laughed Willy.

Scarlett brushed the comment aside, and plowed on, "The _Star Trek_ spinoffs usually last seven seasons, _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ lasted that long ... according to Christian belief, the Earth was created in six days and God rested on the seventh ... Then they're the seven deadly sins, and that creepy girl in _Ringu_ gave—,"

"Did you just say, 'the seven deadly sins'?" Willy said, as he jolted up.

Scarlett laughed nervously. "Yeah, that probably ain't the best argument for that number."

"I don't want the seven deadly sins in my Factory!" Willy exclaimed.

"Don't worry, there's only a ninety-nine percent chance of that happening," Scarlett said absentmindedly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Willy said, alarmed.

"I'm saying that ninety-nine percent of people are rotten," Scarlett said, confused. "I thought you knew that."

"Well," Willy said, laughing nervously. "Five isn't seven, so we'll go with five children. Whichever one's the least rotten, will be the winner."

"So, what do you want me to do?" Scarlett asked, taking a sip of her orange juice.

"Right now, I want you to spread the word. Tell them the great Willy Wonka is planning something, but don't say what. It'll drive the public crazy!" Willy exclaimed. "And you can design the prize I'll put in the chocolate bars."

"I don't know how all this is going to play out, but I do know one thing," Scarlett said, taking the last bite of her breakfast. "If y'all plan on inviting people here, you're gonna need a bigger boat."

* * *

A/N: What did you think? The line about the boat came from _Jaws_ and the thing about the van was inspired by _The Big Bang Theory_. The Wonka-Vite was a reference to _Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator_, Roald Dalh's less popular sequel to _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_. The Perry-Plum Garden came from Jimmy-C-Lombardo from deviantart, who I'd like to thank for allowing me to use his idea, and the nickname for Scarlett came from PinkPrincessTaylor who is also from deviantart.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: If you recognize it from the Wonka community, I don't own it. I'd like to thank ashleydiana105 for favoriting and following and Linkwonka88 for reviewing. I'd also like to thank my beta-reader.

* * *

Scarlett parked her bike outside the candy shop and took her helmet off, leaving it on the seat of her bike. Willy wanted her to spread the word, and that was exactly what she was going to do. This would be the perfect place to start.

Scarlett walked into the candy shop. Upon seeing her, the owner, Jack, smiled tightly.

"Hey, Jack," Scarlett said absentmindedly, as she looked through the newspapers and magazines on the display stands.

"Scarlett, what brings you in here?" Jack asked nervously.

"Just passing through," Scarlett said, as she looked through an art magazine.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Jack asked, straightening his hat, to keep his eye on her better.

"No, I'm just looking," Scarlett said, putting the art magazine back. "I know how much y'all hate it when people read through your stuff without buying anything."

Jack laughed nervously. "It's all right, steal away," Jack said, quickly adding in alarm, "N-not that I'm calling you a thief or anything! I mean, it's better to sample things before buying them!"

"Yeah, Jack, I got it."

Then she took out her phone, and dialed Maria's number.

"Hi, Lette," Maria's voice said.

"Hey, Maria," Scarlett greeted back. "How's business?"

"Same as usual," Maria told her. "Just got one customer who was afraid of needles."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Maria said laughing. "The guy would calmly relax on the bedspread and then he'd jolt every time I tried to stick a needle in him."

"And yet the guy went to an acupuncturist," Scarlett remarked, amused.

"I finally had to tell him that I don't have to use needles if they make him uncomfortable," Maria explained. "But he had to act all macho tough guy and refuse which, if you ask me, just made him look even more pathetic."

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "What is it with guys and their inability to show any sign of weakness?"

"You got me on that one," Maria responded. "So, what's been going on with you?"

"Well, you know my number one client, Willy Wonka?" Scarlett said innocently.

"You mean the guy whose fashion sense is still stuck in the Victorian Era?" Maria asked bitterly.

"Edwardian, and I think his style's unique," Scarlett told Maria defensively. "Anyway, he's got a huge thing going on that I really want to tell you about."

"So, what's the love of your life planning?" Maria asked teasingly.

Scarlett tensed up. "I'd rather tell you in person," Scarlett said, a little more irritably than she meant to sound. "In the mean time, how would you feel about a night on the town?"

"You mean dancing, boozing, and hot guys?"

"With you, is there any other kind of night?" Scarlett said with a smile.

"That's why you love me."

Scarlett laughed. "Okay, you got me there."

"So, where do you want to meet?"

"I was thinking someplace nice, like The Cherry," Scarlett said absentmindedly.

"All right, what time?" Maria answered.

Scarlett wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but Maria sounded a little bitter.

"How about seven?" Scarlett asked.

"Great, see you then."

Scarlett hung up the phone and saw the astonished look on Jack's face.

"Willy Wonka's planning something?" Jack said.

"Oh, you heard that?" Scarlett said apologetically, as she looked out the window.

"Scarlett, if you don't mind me asking," Jack said hesitantly, "what's Willy Wonka planning?"

Scarlett saw a young, brown haired boy gazing into the window with a hungry look in his eyes.

"Who's the kid?" Scarlett asked, as she watched him examine her motorcycle.

"What kid?"

"There's a boy outside looking over my bike and your store," Scarlett explained, folding her arms under her breasts.

"Oh, that kid," Jack said, crestfallen. "I've seen him linger outside the candy shop, but he never comes in."

"I wonder why, " Scarlett contemplated, as she took a Wonka bar from a nearby stand, and placed it on the counter. "I'd like to buy this, please."

"Sure," Jack said, ringing up the Wonka bar. "So, tell me, what's the great Willy Wonka planning?"

"Look, I'm really not supposed to talk about it," Scarlett said, hesitantly.

"Why? Is it top secret?" Jack asked, as Scarlett paid him.

"Well, he's planning a contest with a prize so valuable, it would be like you won the lottery," Scarlett said happily, and then put her hand over her mouth, shocked. "Oh my god, I can't believe I said that."

Scarlett took the Wonka bar, and gazed at Jack pleadingly. "Could you please forget I said anything about the contest? Oops, there I go again."

Scarlett giggled, amused by her farce.

"It's all right, Scarlett, I won't tell a soul," he said, as Scarlett walked to the door.

"Thank you, I knew I could count on you," Scarlett said, smiling at Jack as she opened the door and left the candy shop, whispering to herself right after she shut the door, "to tell everyone that walks in."

Scarlett got her phone from her purse and called Willy.

"Hey, Scarlett."

"Hey, Willy," Scarlett greeted. "Just wanted to tell you that phase one of the plan is complete."

The young boy's interest seemed to perk up when he heard Willy's name, but Scarlett pretended not to notice.

"Neato!" Willy exclaimed. "What's phase two?"

"Grab Maria and go to a night club," Scarlett explained, leaning against the wall.

"You mean the second part of your plan is to get wasted with the gossip queen?" Willy said bitterly.

"You mean Maria," Scarlett said in a warning tone. "She's my best friend, and perfect camouflage."

"Humph," sniffed Willy. "I thought I was your best friend."

Scarlett sighed, sorry she'd mention Maria at all. She'd have caught enough flack for the nightclub, alone, and she couldn't tell if Willy was kidding with her. "You're my best friend in the Factory and she's my best friend outside of it. I'm Kirk, you're Spock and she's McCoy."

"You are such a geek," Willy said in the same tone he always used when Scarlett made references to her interests. "There is no way I'm Spock." That sorted, he turned the subject back to what interested him. "Camouflage?"

"Camouflage, camouflage," Scarlett echoed back. "I'm spreading the word, without 'spreading the word'," Scarlett explained, brightly.

"Ah yes. You're going to accidentally 'let it slip' to the amazing gossip queen that the amazing Willy Wonka is throwing a contest, and then she'll blab to everyone in sight," Willy guessed. "Brilliant!"

"No, if I trusted Maria with a secret, she wouldn't tell anyone," Scarlett explained defensively. "Look, you know how Hollywood makes a big deal about a top secret movie production, and, somehow, an early version of the script gets leaked?"

"So your plan is to leak?"

"Yes, and phase two begins tonight."

"All right. Leak away, Lette," Willy said and then hung up the phone.

Scarlett put her phone in her purse and ran to her motorcycle. "Hey, kid!"

The boy turned to her, startled, and backed away.

Scarlett put a hand on her hip. "What's the deal? Trying to steal my bike?"

The young boy blushed. "No, Ma'am, I was just..."

Scarlett laughed. "Relax, kid, I was joking."

"So, you're not mad?" the boy asked, hesitantly.

"Of course not," Scarlett told him reassuringly. "Name's Scarlett Rivera, what's yours?"

"I'm Charlie Bucket, Ms. Rivera," the boy said politely.

Scarlett smiled. "Ain't no need to be formal, just call me Scarlett."

"Sure, Scarlett," Charlie said hesitantly, as if she would beat him for doing so, and then looked astonished. "Wait a minute, you're _the_ Scarlett Rivera?"

"The one and only," said Scarlett proudly.

"You're the artist employed by Willy Wonka!" Charlie exclaimed, forgetting his earlier shyness.

"Actually, I'm free lance," Scarlett told him, wondering how this boy had heard of her. "But Willy Wonka is my number one client."

"Really?!" Charlie said, grinning from ear to ear. "Have you been in his Factory? How does he come up with his ideas? Who are his workers? What's he like as a person?"

Scarlett laughed at the onslaught.

"So, I take it you're a fan of Mr. Wonka?" Scarlett said, amazed at how the boy had said all that in one breath.

Charlie blushed. "Yes, Ma'am, I mean Scarlett," Charlie said. "Not that your work isn't amazing, though."

"You've seen it?" Scarlett asked.

"Well, my class took a field trip to a local art gallery, and I thought your paintings were very pretty," Charlie explained, returning his attention to his shoes. "The tour guide said that you worked for Willy Wonka."

Even in the art world, Scarlett still lived in Willy's shadow. Well, he was a great connection, and an even greater friend.

"Thanks, Charlie," Scarlett said, smiling. "And, to answer your questions from earlier, I haven't been in his Factory, Willy just has a knack for making candy, like I do with my art, I don't know who his workers are, and he's a complete nut."

"I think he's brilliant," Charlie said.

"Yeah, he is."

"You just said he was a nut," Charlie said, confused.

"Exactly. He's brilliant, in a nutty, crazy way."

Charlie just kept staring at her. "So, you think he's crazy, and brilliant?"

"Yeah, but I'd rather _you_ just called him brilliant," Scarlett said, putting her helmet on. "The only one allowed to call him crazy is _me_."

Charlie laughed. "I understand. It was nice meeting you, Ms. Rivera."

"Again, call me Scarlett, and before I go—" Scarlett gave Charlie her Wonka bar. "A little present for Mr. Willy Wonka's number one fan."

"I'm sorry, I can't take this," Charlie told her, astonished. "It's yours."

"Go ahead, I've got plenty more of them at home," Scarlett told him.

Charlie took the bar, grinning at her like mad. "Thank you, Ma'am!"

"No prob," Scarlett said, as she started her motorcycle and took off.

Scarlett sped down the street thinking about Charlie. He seemed nice, and polite, but a little shy. He also appreciated Willy for his chocolate, something that many people took for granted. Yet Charlie also showed an appreciation for Scarlett's art outside of her work for Willy. Still, even the nicest people could hide the darkest secrets. Hm. All in all, Charlie was definitely someone Scarlett would keep her eye on.

* * *

A/N: So, what do you think? For fans of _Unexpected_, that is Maria Gonzalez that Scarlett was talking to.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'd like to thank Linkwonka88 for reviewing. If you are a Star Trek fan, feel free to check out my Star Trek Deep Space Nine fanfic, _Mind Games_. Though, since Leonard Nimoy died, I've been getting into Star Trek: The Original Series. I also have a eulogy for him on my wordpress blog, if you want to check it out. I'd also like to thank DJpaigeDJ for following and favoriting _The Golden Ticket Frenzy_, as well as following and favoriting me as an author. Another thank you goes to for favoriting me, and I can't forget Jovie Black, who favorited this story. Last, but not least, I'd like to thank my beta-reader. I also have some new updates on my profile page, as well as links to new accounts. If you recognize it from the Wonka community, I don't own it.

* * *

Scarlett pressed the stop button on her black remote, turning off the TV. Her body ached all over. She put the green stretch band on the coffee table she had pushed to the side, then rolled up her yellow yoga mat and placed it on the couch. The clock on her cell phone told her it was two pm, and Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief.

She was going to The Cherry with Maria at seven, and Scarlett had left herself plenty of time to change. Barefoot, with her hair tied up in a messy ponytail, Scarlett's skimpy forest green yoga togs weren't what she wanted for the dance floor.

Still, she was glad she'd gotten in her hour of yoga and Pilates, because now, she could relax. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't get any work done. Scarlett walked to her office and took the chair in front of her cluttered desk, piled high with books and papers. She really needed to clean this desk up sometime. The white of her computer monitor, sticking up out of the heap, looked like a flag of surrender. Oh well, she'd do it later. Right now, she needed to come up with a prize design for Willy's contest.

Scarlett opened up Paint on her computer and got to work on designs for the tickets. She wanted something cute and fun to match the mood of the tour. Her first design was a hot pink background overlaid with flowers and hearts.

"If I put that in the chocolate bar, I'll give the kids diabetes," Scarlett said, wondering if she'd gone overboard.

Then she thought about what traveling through the factory was like. Sure, it was fun and magical, but it was also eerie in its own way. So, she decided to go with a black background, adding red lightning and a white skull.

"That will just give the kids nightmares," Scarlett remarked.

* * *

Scarlett tried different designs and rejected each one, while taking breaks to play around on the internet, post on social networking sites, play some video games (mostly from independent designers), sing and dance along to music, debate the future of the Harry Potter novels, and paint on her easel in the corner. Scarlett took another look at her painting of a troll under a bridge, and thought that it still looked like an ugly pixie. Maybe she could fix it a little? No, she needed to design a prize for the contest and stop getting so easily distracted. Then it came to her, and she beamed with delight. The theme of the contest was chocolate, so why not make it a simple brown piece of paper? Her smile faded. Because the winners might eat it by mistake.

Scarlett buried her face in her hands. Why was it this hard to come up with a prize? Then her phone rang. The caller ID said Maria. Why would she be calling at—Scarlett checked the time—7:30? Great, she was so pre-occupied with designing prizes for Willy's contest that she forgot about her plans, and her friend.

Scarlett answered the phone.

"Scarlett, you're thirty minutes late," Maria told her. "What's keeping you?"

"Maria, I am so sorry!" Scarlett said, as she shot up from her seat. "I just got caught up in some stuff! How about I get ready real quick and meet you there?"

"Lucky for you, the night's still young," Maria said bitterly.

"Of course, again, I am really sorry," Scarlett said, rushing straight to her room.

* * *

Scarlett, wearing a red dress that showed all her curves, with a sideslit that went up to her thigh, parked her Mercedes outside The Cherry and checked her makeup in her hand mirror. With black eyeliner, dark blue eye shadow, light pink blush and ruby red lips, she was good to go.

Scarlett opened the doors to The Cherry and found herself greeted by the loud dance music and familiar neon lights. It was as dull as ever. That was the price of visiting Willy's Chocolate Factory. The outside world, even the fun places, looked dreadfully dull compared to the wonders of the Factory.

She looked for Maria, and saw her seated at the bar, wearing a strapless white dress that clung to her body, showing every curve of her hourglass figure, the top cut low, drinking the last of her martini. Scarlett took the seat next to her.

"I'll have a scotch on the rocks," Scarlett said to the bartender.

"Hold on a sec," the bartender said, as she went over to two men who were gesturing to her.

"About time you got here," Maria said, putting her empty glass to the side.

"Again, I am so sorry," Scarlett told her. "I just got caught up in something."

"Here you go, Ma'am," the bartender said, handing Scarlett a scotch and Maria a martini. "Compliments of the two men over there." The bartender pointed to two gorgeous men, one a light skinned Caucasian with golden blond hair, and the other a dark skinned Hispanic with chocolate brown hair, both very well dressed. They raised their glasses to Scarlett and Maria.

"Thank you," Scarlett said to the bartender, as she took the drink.

"I'll take the white guy," Maria said, forming her dark red lips into a flirtatious smile and sending it to the desired man.

"That's fine, I wanted the Hispanic anyway," Scarlett said, sending her own flirtatious smile to the man she wanted.

"How could I forget? You like them foreign. Save for a certain candy man," Maria said. She turned her brown eyes, in her oval, mocha complexioned face to Scarlett. Blocked by a few strands of her straight, layered, jet black hair, the front stopping at her shoulders, the back reaching her waist, her eyes were as sharp as pins. "Speaking of Willy Wonka, didn't you want to tell me what he was planning?"

Scarlett sighed. "I'll tell you later. Right now, I just want to have fun."

* * *

"YOU GAVE ALL OF OUR MONEY TO A NIGERIAN PRINCE YOU MET OVER THE INTERNET?" Trudy Rivera shouted. She stood in the living room, behind the couch Ken was sitting on, screaming at him while he watched TV.

"Babe, I'm telling you! We're going to be rich!" Ken pleaded, getting up from the couch.

Trudy stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door.

"Babe, come on! I mean it this time!"

"You mean like when you invested in that homeless guy's hamburger vending machine!" Trudy yelled, locking the door.

Ken ran his hand through his messy, jet black hair, laughing nervously. "Okay, that guy conned me, but this one's a sure thing! I swear it!"

"Forget it! I'm done with you!"

"Come on, I make one stupid mistake and you want to get rid of me?" Ken said, trying to open the door, and then knocking on it. "Babe, open this door!"

"No! I'm sick of you, Ken!" Trudy said, sobbing. "I'm sick of your stupidity! I'm sick of your laziness! And I'm sick of your whores!"

"Babe, come on! I'm not perfect!" Ken pleaded, banging on the door.

"That's always your excuse!" Trudy exclaimed, as the baby cried in a crib in the corner. Then she seized on the phrase, mocking him. "Why can't you clean up? 'I'm not perfect.' Why can't you keep a job? 'I'm not perfect.' Why did the police find you with a teenage girl in the car? 'I'm not perfect.' No, you're not! You're a sleaze!"

"For the last time, I thought she was eighteen!" Ken said, defensively as he kept banging on the door. The baby's crying got louder. "Come on, Trudy, you're making Star cry!"

"Oh, so now you care about Star?" Trudy said, in mocking disbelief, sobbing. "The last time I asked you to watch her, you left her with the next door neighbor, who just moved in, so you could go to a Strip Club!"

"He turned out all right!"

"Lucky for you!" Trudy yelled.

"Trudy, come on! You can't stay mad at me forever!" Ken said, holding the doorknob and being sure to make his voice sound apologetic. "I know I've made some mistakes in the past, and I get that you're angry with me, but what we have is special. Please, don't throw it away over an emotional outburst."

Trudy opened the door with her platinum blonde hair in disarray, and tears flowing from her ocean blue eyes.

"See, I knew you couldn't stay mad at me," Ken said, flashing her a charming smile.

Trudy handed him a filled suitcase. "Get out." She slammed the door and locked it.

Ken stared at the door in disbelief. "Trudy, you can't be serious!"

"I'm more serious than I've ever been in my entire life," Trudy said, calm with anger.

"Babe, can't we talk about this?"

"Kenneth Rivera, there is nothing to talk about," Trudy said. "When we first met, you showered me with gifts. You told me I was special, and you would always be there for me as a shoulder to cry on. I thought you weren't much to look at, but that inside you were a beautiful man, who would make the perfect husband and father. It turned out you were every bit as ugly on the inside as you were on the outside."

"That's what this is about?" Ken exclaimed through the door. "You want to go back to those ugly jerks you use to date?"

"Get out!" Trudy yelled.

"Fine!" Ken said, grabbing his bag. "But you'll never find another guy like me!"

Ken stomped through the house to the front door, slamming it on his way out. Standing there, he gazed out at the dark, lonely streets of Texas. "Now I just have to find a place to stay."

* * *

Tanya Wilson looked through the mail on the wooden coffee table, and came across a birthday card to her son, Gavin, which she immediately opened. The outside of the card was a typical happy birthday graphic, but the inside held a message and, most importantly, fifty dollars in cash. Tanya smiled and pocketed the money as her 'mother's fee'.

She then took a compact mirror from her black leather purse and looked at her tan, oval face. Pink eye shadow surrounded her almond shaped hazel eyes, and pink blush covered her cheeks. Tanya's straight golden blonde was cut in layers, with the front stopping at her shoulders, and the back reaching the points of her shoulder blades. Her breasts were small, but thanks to a padded bra, they looked big.

Tanya wore a pink tube top, and a pair of dark blue jeans, with a flower pattern at the bottom that showed off her slim figure divinely, finished off with a pair of purple high heels. She wore a genuine pearl necklace, with matching earrings. Tanya grabbed a piece of paper off of the notebook on the kitchen counter, and made a note to visit the tanning salon soon. Her tan was fading.

Then the doorbell rang. Tanya gave a frustrated sigh, as she went to the living room to see her chubby, black haired, sloppily dressed husband, Josh, on the couch watching the football game and eating popcorn.

Tanya prepared a smile and opened the front door. A man with messy, jet black hair, a hooked nose, but distinguished face, dressed in baggy clothes stood in front of her.

"Ken, how great to see you!" Tanya said, trying to sound as happy as she could be. "How's Trina?"

"Trudy," Ken corrected, exasperated. "She threw me out."

Tanya gave a horrified gasp, and put her hand in front of her mouth. "That's terrible! If only there was something I could do to help!" Tanya exclaimed, putting her hand on her chest.

"Actually, there is," Ken began, slowly. "I need a place to stay, and I was wondering if it could be yours."

"Oh, I'd love to help in any way I could, but Josh is very picky about house guests," Tanya said, sounding as apologetic as she possibly could.

Josh scoffed from his place on the couch. Great, the one time the game goes to commercial and it's when Tanya didn't need his attention. "If you don't want Ken to stay, don't hide behind me as an excuse."

Tanya briefly cringed, and then returned to her happy self. "You said it yourself, sweetie, Ken's a lazy mooch who doesn't contribute to the household."

"I'm only standing right here," Ken said, nonchalantly.

"No, you said it and I agreed," Josh said, absentmindedly. "I remember, because I said you were just like him, and you threw your hairdryer at me."

Tanya heard Ken laugh, which he quickly turned into a cough.

Tanya nervously laughed. "You mean I_ dropped _the hairdryer," Tanya said, with a smile, while sending a threatening glare Josh's way.

"Tanya, can I stay or not?" Ken asked, exasperatedly.

"I'm afraid not," Tanya said, twirling her hair around her finger. "With two children, there's only so much room here, and Josh doesn't make enough money as a hot dog vendor to support five people."

"It doesn't help that you spend what little money I make on expensive clothes and jewelry," Josh said, not turning away from the TV.

"I thought April moved out and went to college," Ken pointed out.

Tanya hung her head down in sorrow. "Yes, but she needs constant attention." Tanya rubbed a fake tear from her eye. "Did you know she's being treated for anorexia, for the third time? The poor girl. I blame society and all the skinny women they put on TV and in the magazines."

"Really?" Josh said, rolling his eyes. "I thought it was because you called her fat, every chance you had."

Tanya nervously laughed. "It was all harmless fun," Tanya said, happily. "So, as you can see, you can't stay with us. Maybe Scarlett has room."

Ken scoffed. "You seriously think Scarlett's going to let me stay with her?"

"I'm sure she would," Tanya said, in her best sympathetic voice. "Who is Scarlett, if not the caregiver of the family?"

"The one who cut off all ties with us, and hates me," Ken said, disdainfully.

"Maybe I could talk to her on your behalf," Tanya said, thoughtfully.

"Forget it," Ken said, pessimistically. "The only one she hates more than me, is you."

Tanya narrowed her eyes, but kept her sweet expression. "Well, that's unfortunate."

"Tanya, shut the door," Josh barked, from the couch. "You're letting flies in."

"I'm so sorry, Ken, but you heard Josh," Tanya said, doing her best to look apologetic. "I'll be happy to pay for your trip."

* * *

Ken watched Tanya slam the door in his face, and continued walking the streets. Great, now where was he going to stay? Oh well, at least he didn't have to put up with the Evil Queen. Ken pulled out his cell and dialed Scarlett's number. It was a long shot, but he might as well try.

"Scarlett here, who is this?" Scarlett said, cheerfully slurring her words.

"Hey, sis," Ken said, not expecting much. "It's me, Ken."

"Oh, Ken!" Scarlett said, with the same cheerfulness. "Great to hear from you! How've you been?"

Scarlett was happy to hear from him? She must be drunk.

"Not well," Ken told her, perking up. "My wife kicked me out and I really need a place to stay."

"Oh, sorry to hear," Scarlett said, sounding genuinely sympathetic. "Are you staying with Tanya, now?"

"Not really," Ken said, bitterly. "Apparently, the Queen of Mean can't spare one bit of kindness to her only brother."

"Yeah, that was a stupid question," Scarlett said, laughing. "Do you at least have money for a motel?"

"Actually, I was hoping I could stay with you," Ken said, smiling deviously.

"Sure!" Scarlett said, excited at the prospect.

"Great, if you could pick me up at the airport—" Ken began.

"No need!" Scarlett interrupted, cheerfully. "I'll just text you the directions to my apartment!"

"Okay, thank you!" Ken said, happily.

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow!" Scarlett said, with the same drunken cheerfulness. "Just answer one question for me."

"Okay, what?" Ken said, dreading what Scarlett wanted to ask.

"Would this be your fourth divorce, or your fifth?" Scarlett asked, with drunk laughter.

"Neither," Ken said, irritably. "It'll be my third divorce."

"Wow! Either you need to quit getting married, or figure out how to be a better husband," Scarlett said, jokingly. "Otherwise, you might beat Ross, from _Friends,_ for the world record in most-divorces-before-you-hit-fifty."

"I got it," Ken said, with the same irritability from before. "So, see you tomorrow?"

"Can't wait!" Scarlett said, cheerfully. "Bye!"

Then she hung up.

* * *

Scarlett and Maria went to sit with the two guys who brought them drinks, and had a few more with them. Maybe it was the alcohol in Scarlett's system, but the real world didn't seem so boring anymore.

"Great news!" Scarlett said to the group. "My brother's staying with me!"

"The mooch whose only talents are video games and getting divorced?" Maria asked, slurring her words.

"Yeah, isn't that great?" Scarlett said, excitedly. "Between Willy's news, and my brother coming to town, I couldn't be happier!"

"Willy?" Barry, the white guy, asked. "As in Willy Wonka?"

"Yeah, he's a good friend of mine," Scarlett said, happily.

"How close are you two?" Juan, the Hispanic guy, asked.

"You're talking to Willy Wonka's best friend and favorite artist, Scarlett Rivera!" Maria said, beaming with pride.

"So, pretty close?" Juan asked, also slurring his words.

"Not as close as I'd like to be," Scarlett said, blushing. "But I am close enough to know some great news!"

Scarlett shot up from her chair and shouted at the top of her lungs. "HEY, EVERYONE! YOU DIDN'T HEAR IT FROM ME, BUT WILLY WONKA'S RUNNING A BIG PROMOTION! IF YOU WIN THE CONTEST, IT'LL BE LIKE YOU WON THE LOTTERY!"

Everyone stared at Scarlett and then started talking among themselves excitedly. Scarlett went back to her seat.

"So, what do you do?" Barry asked Maria, slurring his words as he put his arm around her.

"Me?" Maria said, pointing to herself. "I run my own acupuncture practice."

"Isn't that where they stick needles in your skin?" Barry asked.

Maria laughed. "Not always, I can just use my hands instead," Maria informed him, scooting closer.

"Like a masseuse?" Barry asked.

"No, nothing like that!" Maria said, giggling as she ran her fingers through his hair. "But I can still soothe your pain."

"Really?" Barry asked, intrigued. "How?"

Maria kissed him, and it wasn't long until they were passionately making out on the couch.

"So, does your friendship with Willy Wonka mean you can't hang around other guys?" Juan asked Scarlett, trying to avoid looking at the passionate couple next to them.

Scarlett scoffed. "Willy doesn't care what I do," Scarlett assured Juan as she flirtatiously touched his arm. "As long as I don't do any damage to his Factory."

"Great, so you can get coffee with me some time?" Juan asked, drunkenly.

"Sure," Scarlett said, taking her hand off his arm and writing her number on a piece of paper. "Call me."

With a wink, Scarlett handed Juan the paper.

* * *

Later that night, Scarlett posted the announcement for Willy Wonka's contest on every social networking site she had an account on, not saying what it was about and making it clear that finding the prize would be like winning the lottery.

In one day, she'd gotten out the word about what Willy was planning, while keeping the details vague. Her brother would be staying with her, starting tomorrow. Scarlett went to her room and collapsed on her bed, still wearing her dress, feeling more proud of herself than ever.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? For readers of How Bad Could It Be, Ken is Billy with a different name. I had to change it because I was writing in the Willy Wonka universe. Though, I have to admit, I think Ken might be a better name for him.

I also thought it might be fun to include cameos. If you'd like to see your character appear in a cameo in this story, I'll PM with you about making that possible.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'd like to thank Linkwonka88 for the review. Scarlett's doing exactly what Willy Wonka wanted. I'd also like to thank my beta-reader.

I'd like to give a shoutout to Amelka-Wonka-Kitty on deviantart, who's drawn Scarlett and created photoshopped pictures of her with Willy Wonka, using the actress I picked.

If you recognize it from the Wonka Community, I don't own it.

* * *

Scarlett woke to see bits of makeup on her pillow. Her head hurt to the point that she felt like it would burst at any moment, and looking to the floor, she saw her shoes recklessly thrown to the side. She realized next she'd gone to bed in her dress, rumpling it to the point where it would require a trip to the dry-cleaner, how tiresome, and her purse lay on her dresser, with the contents spilled out. As if all that wasn't enough, she heard noises from the living room.

Last night was a complete blur, but Scarlett easily explained the noises to herself by guessing she'd been watching TV, and forgotten to turn it off. It wouldn't be the first time she'd left technology running while drunk. She was just glad she'd had enough sense not to touch the stove, the apartment hadn't burned down in the night, anyway, and she hadn't seen her keys on the dresser. Scarlett hoped that she meant she'd also had the sense not to drive, though that might have been because the bartender had taken her keys away before she could. If so, it wouldn't be the first time that had happened.

Taking her dress off, Scarlett got a kimono from her closet, wearing it like a bathrobe, and making a mental note to see if her plan from last night had worked. She took a look at herself in the mirror and saw her hair in disarray, and makeup smudged all over her face. Mornings were never her best time, and her mornings after her drinking nights were even worse. Scarlett searched her purse and the contents dumped on her dresser for her keys, and not finding them, decided that her previous conclusion about their location was right.

Her hand across her forehead, Scarlett went to the bathroom, on her way glimpsing Ken in the living room, wearing baggy clothes and playing Zelda.

"Hey, Ken," Scarlett said, as she entered the bathroom.

"Hey," he grunted back, intent on the game.

She pulled makeup remover and a bag of cotton balls from the cabinet and placed them on the counter. Scarlett was about to take a ball from the bag, when something clicked in her head.

She rushed from the room.

"KEN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Ken jolted and nearly dropped the controller. Then he composed himself, and continued playing.

"Way to greet your big brother," he said, sardonically. "What happened to 'hey'?"

"_Half_-brother," Scarlett spat. Her head was pounding like mad. "Let me guess, Candi threw you out."

Ken laughed, and paused the game. "Where have you been? That was years ago. Now I'm married to Trudy."

"Putting as much distance as possible between myself and Dad's side of the family is where I've been," Scarlett said, bitterly.

Satisfied the game was paused, Ken turned to face Scarlett. When he saw her, his expression changed to one of horror, and then he laughed uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" Scarlett demanded, her eyes narrowing.

"Did you take a look at yourself in the mirror?" Ken said between laughs, as he returned to the game. "You look like the Creature from the Black Lagoon."

Scarlett went to the kitchen and gathered the Prairie Oyster ingredients, responding snarkily, "I suppose if anyone has a right to judge attractiveness, it's the guy who looks like a bum someone picked up off the street."

"Doesn't matter what men look like, as long as they have a good personality," Ken retorted.

"You have a personality?" Scarlett said sarcastically, getting so angry about the double-standard that she broke the yolk of the egg she cracked. Scarlett gave a frustrated sigh, and dumped the glass and its contents on the dirty dishes that filled the sink.

"That still doesn't explain what you're doing here," Scarlett said, as she looked for another glass in the cabinet, only to find that she was out of clean ones.

"Haven't you figured it out?" Ken asked, as Scarlett was rinsing off dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. "Trudy threw me out, and I need a place to stay."

"You couldn't stay with Tanya?"

Ken scoffed. "I'm sorry, do you not know Tanya?"

"The Evil Queen," Scarlett said, begrudgingly. "How could I forget?"

Scarlett finished loading the dishwasher and saw a few dishes left, making a mental note to get them later. She went to her room and turned on her cell phone to see tons of missed calls from Willy and a few text messages. She'd get back to him but, right now, there was something else she had to deal with, and it was sitting on her couch. She called Tanya.

"Hello," Tanya said, in her fake cheerful voice. "Who is this?"

"It's Scarlett."

"Oh, if it isn't my favorite sister," Tanya said, her voice still cheerful, and still fake. "How are you?"

On the other end, Scarlett rolled her eyes.

"Cut the crap, Tanya," Scarlett said. "What's Ken doing here?"

"Straight to the point, as usual," Tanya said, giggling. "Ken came to me in his time of need and I sent him to you."

"Why?" Scarlett said, getting angry.

"Well," Tanya said, in her sad voice. "It's just that, with the money situation being what it is, Josh and I just couldn't afford to take care of Ken. You remember Josh? Our dashing quarterback of high school fame, and your old crush? I hope you're not too depressed that he married me."

"Still harping on that, are you? What can I say? You two were meant for each other," Scarlett said, with a smirk. "So, you didn't have enough money to take care of Ken, but you had enough to ship him all the way to my apartment?"

"You know what a handful Ken can be," Tanya said, something Scarlett had to concede. "It's cheaper buying him a plane ticket than it is putting him up in your house."

"You couldn't have sent him to Dad?" Scarlett asked.

"He wouldn't want him. Daddy's new job keeps him pre-occupied," Tanya began, innocently. "And so does his new marriage."

Scarlett stood there in silence, until she finally got over the shock enough to speak. "Dad got remarried?"

"You didn't know?" Tanya said, pretending to be shocked. "Then again, it's not all that surprising. You never were as close to him as I am."

"Tanya, I'm working on something really big, and I can't afford to deal with Ken right now."

Tanya gave a dramatic sigh. "It breaks my heart when someone refuses to help their family in their time of need."

"You did," Scarlett countered back.

"I'm not rolling in money, like you are," Tanya said bitterly, and then went back to her sweet voice. "But that would change if you'd just spare a bit of cash for me."

Scarlett scoffed. "Forget it. Last time I gave you money, you spent it all at Tiffany's."

"Well, then enjoy your new house guest," Tanya said, keeping her sweet voice that, to Scarlett, was the vocal equivalent of nails dragging across a chalkboard. "It was wonderful talking to you, but I really must get going."

Tanya hung up, leaving Scarlett standing there frustrated. She called Willy next, to deliver the bad news. By now, she should've been at the Chocolate Factory.

"Finally," Willy said, when he recognized Scarlett's voice on the line. "Why don't you answer, and why are you there, and not here?"

"I'm just calling to say that I can't make it," Scarlett explained. "I've got a few problems."

"Fix them later," Willy told her.

"It's not that simple," Scarlett began, hesitantly. "My brother's here, and I don't trust him alone in my apartment."

"Your brother?"

Scarlett could practically hear Willy's jaw drop before he spoke again.

"That's simple, send him on his way."

"Well, I kind of agreed to take him in," Scarlett murmured

Willy laughed.

"You must be mumbling, because I could've sworn I heard you say that you agreed to let your no-goodnik brother stay with you."

"I wasn't mumbling," Scarlett said, ashamed.

This was met with silence, for longer than Scarlett liked, but before she could think of anything to say, Willy's voice crackled over the line.

"I'm thinking to myself that I can't think what you were thinking to yourself, to think you'd want your self-described dead-beat brother to move in with you."

Scarlett sighed at all this disapproving talk of thinking. She'd been in no condition to think.

"I was thinking, 'Woo-wee, I'm having the time of my life!'"

"So you were drunk," Willy said. "And under-the-influence, you agreed to let a brother you call a waste of space, stay with you."

"Everyone has their vices, Willy," Scarlett defended. "And I really don't appreciate being lectured about mine."

Scarlett was met with another silence.

"Willy?" Scarlett said, wondering if he might hang up. She'd prefer a lecture to that.

"I just remembered you have a brother_ and_ a sister," Willy chirped.

"Yeah, what about it?" Scarlett could see where Willy was going with this, and he wasn't going to like her answer.

"Ship the sod off to the sister."

"She shipped him off to me."

"Shucks," Willy said, thinking. "So give him some bread and water, and lock him in a closet. You need to get over here, pronto. We have a contest to plan."

Imagining Ken locked in a closet, Scarlett laughed.

"Not a bad idea, but I think it would be better to have the house extremely baby-proofed," Scarlett said. "It will make Ken uncomfortable and I won't have to worry about the police."

"Whatever works," Willy said, nonchalantly.

"I'll get there as soon as I can, I promise."

She heard the click as Willy rang off, and put the phone down. Speaking of vices, before she confronted Ken, she had something to take care of. Reaching into the cabinet, Scarlett removed a bag of what looked like crushed oregano, and breathed a sigh of relief that Ken hadn't found her stash. Maybe he'd been too tired from his flight to look, but Scarlett knew that wouldn't last. If she expected to keep it, she'd just have to put this in a place Ken would never look. Scarlett beat feet back to her bathroom, and saw a box of condoms in her medicine cabinet that she kept next to her birth control. There was no guarantee that all of her conquests would bring protection, so it was good to have _that _stash around for insurance, but more importantly, behind birth control of any kind was the last place Ken would ever look. Feeling confident in her solution, that's where Scarlett stuck her stash.

Scarlett went to the living room to see her brother still on the couch.

"Ken, did you know Dad remarried?" Scarlett asked.

Ken continued playing video games, ignoring her. Scarlett shut off the game.

"Hey, I was this close to getting the third spiritual stone!" Ken said. "Thanks to you, Hyrule's doomed!"

"I'll send an apology note to Princess Zelda," Scarlett said, rolling her eyes. "Did you know Dad remarried?"

"Yeah, last year," Ken said, angrily. "Can I get back to my game, now?"

"_My _game," Scarlett corrected. "When and where?"

"No idea, I threw the invite away. The only time I talk to Dad is when I want to hit him up for cash," Ken said, and then turned to her with gleeful shock. "You mean you didn't know?"

Scarlett kept her mouth shut, not wanting to admit that she didn't know, but not wanting to lie either.

"I figured you weren't invited, but he didn't even tell you?" Ken said, laughing. "I should have known. The order's always been Tanya, me, and, last and most definitely least, you!"

Scarlett clenched her fists, fantasizing about kneeing Ken where the sun don't shine. Against all expectations, what she was hearing stung. Scarlett did say she wanted to cut off all ties to Dad's side of the family, but to not even get one peep, from her own father, that he was getting married? It's not like Ken and Tanya cared about him all that much. All they saw was a living ATM, even if Tanya wouldn't admit it. Yet he still included them in his life. The stinging feeling disturbed her. It was amazing how Scarlett's logic told her one thing, while her emotions told her the exact opposite.

"You can stay here until you find a job and a place to stay," Scarlett said coldly. "There's a newspaper on the kitchen counter, so feel free to look through the classified sections. After that, you're on your own."

* * *

A/N: I actually intended for the chapter to be longer, but I thought this would be a dramatic note to end it on. The offer for cameos is still available and I got myself hooked on Animorphs. I also made a journal entry on deviantart about what makes a Mary-Sue. Check it out, if you're interested. Right now, I'm having a problem. I have all this stuff I have to do (original fiction, fanfiction, my video game blog), but I have no idea what I should prioritize and that includes this fanfic. Read and review, please.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'd like to thank Linkwonka88 and Turrislucidus for reviewing. To the former, I'd like to say that I based Ken off of someone I know in real life. Guess we all have one worthless bum in our lives. I'd also like to give a shout-out to onlyindreams145 for making a photoshopped cover for The Golden Ticket Frenzy. Be sure to check out her fanfic, _Willy Wonka and the Starlet_. Last, but not least, I'd like to thank my beta-reader.

Scarlett stepped out of the taxi cab near the entrance to The Cherry, giving the driver the fare and a generous tip.

"Thanks, Scarlett," the driver said, as he took the money.

"Don't mention it, Eddie," Scarlett replied nonchalantly, as she looked for her car, trying to remember where she parked.

She didn't see it. Eddie drove off. Feeling like her brain was popping popcorn, Scarlett put her hand on her head. She walked into The Cherry, and saw the bartender wiping down the counter.

"Hey, Pam," Scarlett greeted, half-heartedly.

"Hey, Scarlett," Pam said, not giving Scarlett that much attention. "Take it yer back for yer car."

"Right in one," Scarlett said, holding out her hand.

"Figures," Pam said sardonically, looking for Scarlett's keys in the bowl. "If you're not here to drink, you're here to get your car back."

"That's me... keeping you in business, and out of jail, for over-serving your clientele," Scarlett snapped back. There were a lot of sets of keys in that bowl. "And, oh yeah, doesn't that describe all your customers?" Scarlett added, impatiently.

"Impatient as always," Pam said, pulling out a pair of keys. "Ya drive the Yugo, right?"

"Yeah, Pam, I wear thousand dollar dresses and drive a Yugo," Scarlett said sarcastically.

"Sorry, 'Ms. Moneybags,'" Pam said, putting the Yugo keys back in the bowl. "Ain't many of us rolling in dough, like you are."

"Just give me my damn keys," Scarlett demanded. "But, if my money bothers you that much, I can take my business elsewhere."

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed, dis mornin'," Pam remarked, taking out Scarlett's keys. "Got time to tell yer bartenda?"

"No, I don't," Scarlett said, taking the keys from Pam.

"Then don't tell me," Pam sniffed, returning to her wiping.

Scarlett turned to leave.

"Is it because of yer big project yer workin' on for Wonka?"

"Well, yeah, and I—" Scarlett stopped mid-sentence, wiping the sly smile off her face before she turned back to face Pam. She'd known that nosey excuse for a bartender couldn't leave it alone. "Wait a minute, what big project?"

"The one you were babblin' on about last night," Pam said, putting her finger to her chin as if she were in deep thought. "What did you say? Oh yeah, 'Willy Wonka's plannin' a big contest and, if ya win, it'll be like ya won the lottery.'"

"Really?" Scarlett asked, feigning worry. "Ohh... Well, I'm sure no one paid attention."

"They wouldn't have, if ya hadn't a stood on the couch and announced it loud enough so everyone could hear," Pam said, amused at Scarlett's discomfort.

"Well, maybe no one will say anything," Scarlett said hopefully. "I mean, Spiderman got unmasked on a train and people still kept his secret."

"Are ya kiddin' me? As quick as gossip gets around in this town?" Pam said, scoffing. Then she looked serious. "Wait a minute. Whatta ya mean Spiderman gets unmasked?"

"Remember, the train scene in the new movie?" Scarlett explained innocently. "Spiderman rescues some pedestrians and loses his mask, but they promise him that they won't tell anyone?"

_Actually, it was just one kid who said he wouldn't tell, but you can bet a ton of the others were snapping pictures on their cell phones, _Scarlett thought in disgust, making sure it didn't show on her face.

"Boy, you really know how to keep things in the vault, don't ya?" Pam asked sarcastically.

"What do you mean?" Scarlett asked.

"I mean Wonka, and now this. I haven't seen _Spiderman 2_ yet," Pam explained.

In a worried daze, Scarlett stared at her keys. The popcorn popping was back, about ready for the butter.

"Hey, Scarlett," Pam said. "Don't ya care I haven't seen _Spiderman 2_? And ya just ruined it for me?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Scarlett asked, blinking her eyes and turning her head to face Pam.

Seeing the blank stare, Pam was suddenly over it. Maybe because she had a bar to set up.

"Don't ya got business with Wonka?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course," Scarlett said worryingly. "Better get going."

Scarlett headed to the entrance, and said in a voice quiet enough to be a whisper, yet loud enough for Pam to hear, "If I spilled the beans last night, Wonka's going to kill me."

Scarlett left The Cherry and leaned against the door, twirling the keys around her finger. Her so-called anxiety vanished.

"And the Oscar goes to... Moi!" Scarlett said proudly.

Scarlett went over to her Mercedes and sat herself in the driver's seat. As soon as Scarlett was on the road, she got her cell phone out and dialed someone she desperately wanted to talk to.

"Scarlett?" her mother's voice said, on the other end.

"Yeah, it's me, Mom," Scarlett began, while driving recklessly down the street. "How's Austin?"

"Great! I just bought a horse!" her mother exclaimed.

"Seriously?" Scarlett said excitedly. "That sounds awesome! For you, anyway."

"Not for the horse?" Her mother laughed. "I've wanted a horse ever since I was a little girl."

"So you've said," Scarlett responded with a smile. "Guess moving was the right step for you."

"Definitely," her mother agreed. "Even if _you _were against it."

"Hey, it's not easy losing your childhood home," Scarlett defended, swerving so that she didn't miss a turn. Upset by the memory, Scarlett looked through her CD compartment and found her nature sound album. She put it in the player, concentrating on the sounds of the birds chirping.

"Scarlett?" her mother asked concerned.

"Yeah, Mom?" Scarlett said, getting back to reality.

"Just checking to make sure you were still there," her mother remarked as Scarlett laughed. "Hey, I saw your latest MySpace post."

"You mean the one about Willy's big promotion?" Scarlett asked, hoping she wasn't going to get another lecture from her mother about responsibility.

"I take it Willy asked you to help run it," her mother guessed.

"How the hell did you know that?" Scarlett asked, not expecting her mother to be this astute.

"Scarlett, you may be careless but you're not completely unreliable," her mother said, kindly.

"Thanks, that means a lot to me," Scarlett said sincerely, then decided to get to the reason for the call. "Hey, Mom, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Is it about whatever Willy's planning?" her mother asked. "Don't worry, Scarlett. I understand that you can't tell me everything that happens at the factory."

"Actually, that's not what I wanted to talk about," Scarlett said, taking a deep breath. "Have you heard from Dad lately?"

"No," her mother answered. "Why would you even bring that up?"

"So, you didn't hear that Dad got remarried?" Scarlett asked, slamming her foot on the brake when she noticed the traffic light turn red.

"No, I didn't. It's news to me," her mother said. "And hearing it, I couldn't care less."

"Nice to know I'm not the only one in the dark," Scarlett said bitterly.

"What are you talking about?" her mother asked.

"Let's just say I didn't hear the news from Dad," Scarlett explained, hoping her mother wouldn't pry.

"Then how did you hear it?" her mother asked, giving Scarlett no such luck.

"Through Myspace," Scarlett lied.

"What were you doing on your Dad's Myspace page?" her mother asked suspiciously.

"I woke up, got bored, and goofed off on Myspace," Scarlett answered, hoping that would be good enough.

"And your goofing off led you to your Dad's page?" her mother asked doubtfully.

"Got to say, I thought moving out would stop you interrogating me, but I guess not," Scarlett said sarcastically.

"Interrogating you? Scarlett, you called me, and you're the one who brought this up," her mother said, in that matter-of-fact voice that grated so on Scarlett when she was a kid.

Smarting at the rebuke, were Scarlett a teenager, or a young adult, she would've gotten into a long argument with her mother now, until they were both exhausted, and said hurtful things to each other, that they'd end up regretting and apologizing to each other for, later. Scarlett's emotions were never a light switch, easily turned on and off, and neither were her mother's. But the apologies never quite covered the hurt, and two dominating people living in the same household is always a recipe for disaster. Scarlett dodged some traffic. She and her mother weren't living together anymore, and the bird sounds were doing wonders for Scarlett's mood.

"Sorry, Mom. I guess I'm on edge about this."

"Should I be concerned about you?" her mother said, as Scarlett gave an exasperated sigh.

"No, Mom, you don't need to be," Scarlett reassured her. "I'm a grown woman now, with my own career."

"Doesn't matter," her mother told her. "I was worried about you when you were born, and I'll continue worrying until the day I die."

"Sounds exhausting," Scarlett observed, lightly.

"That's parenthood for you," her mother answered, as lightly back. "I definitely don't recommend it for you."

"Well, we agree on that, mom. Trust me, I'm never becoming a parent," Scarlett said with a smile.

"Good," her mother told her. "So, why are you upset about your Dad getting remarried?"

"Actually, that's not what I'm upset about," Scarlett said.

"Then what are you upset about?" her mother asked.

"It's about how I heard it," Scarlett explained. "Don't get me wrong, I don't care that I wasn't invited to the wedding or anything. I wouldn't have gone. I just wanted a simple call from him saying 'I'm getting married,' or maybe a text. How hard can it be to send one little text?"

"You did say that you didn't want anything to do with him," her mother pointed out.

"Yeah, but he doesn't have to cut me out of his life entirely," Scarlett explained.

"As far as your father's concerned, you've pretty much asked for that," her mother told her. "You know how literally he tends to take things sometimes."

"He never does that to Ken and Tanya."

"That's different. He feels guilty where they're concerned," her mom told her. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to defend him, but Ken and Tanya had a maniac for a mom. Your dad felt you didn't need him as much."

"So he neglects me in favor of the kids who wouldn't care if he lived or died?" Scarlett said, hearing the same old reasoning. "That's great parenting for you."

"Well, what did you expect? You made the decision, and you knew what he was like," her mother told her. "You can imagine, and create, and you're passionate about your interests. If it wasn't sports or drinking, your dad wasn't interested."

Scarlett smiled.

"Yeah, not much of an imagination," she added.

"Yeah, you could say that," her mother said hesitantly. "Look, you know I don't want to turn you against your father."

"Trust me, Mom, he did that on his own."

Scarlett reached the Factory, seeing a few teenagers nearby. One of them was shaking the gate bars, and screaming like on _Jurassic Park_.

"Look, Mom, I got to go. Thanks for the talk, but duty calls."

"All right, it was really nice hearing from you," her mother told her. "Take care."

"You too, Mom," Scarlett said, turning off her CD and ending the call.

With a screech of tires, she parked her car across the street, and then sent Willy a text.

'Wanna play?'

She didn't wait long. One her phone appeared, :) ! W?

Eyeing the teenage boys manhandling the bars of the main gates she texted back, 'Pirates.'

:( ! Knot reel E mi ting.

Scarlett's smile widened. Willy spoofed texting whenever he could.

'Deep Space Nine' then?'

'Eye hart Star Trek'

'OK, Trek. Check your gates. U have boarders 2 repel B4 I can get in.'

Scarlett had crossed the road by this time, standing a little to one side of the kids. Leaving the bars alone, they were giving her the stink-eye, wondering if this loitering adult would be the end of their fun.

"Hey, boys," Scarlett said, in the huskiest voice she could muster.

Something in their hormone controlled minds clicked, and the gate was forgotten.

Scarlett's phone beeped, and keeping one eye on the boys, she checked the message. The game was afoot, and Willy was playing. He'd written it out properly.

'Gate phasers set to stun,' she read.

Scarlett's smile became a grin as she advanced on the waiting boys. Once they saw this, with the message header—W. Wonka—and felt the gate again—if they were stupid enough to do that—they'd be out of here in no time, and she'd be free to go in.

"The party's over," Scarlett said, flicking her hair back alluringly.

The tallest boy peered at the phone this goddess was holding out for him to see, and he mumbled the message to the others. They craned their necks to see for themselves.

"Maybe we should just leave," the tallest boy said reasonably.

"Forget it!" the shortest boy said, turning to Scarlett, with an arrogant expression on his face. "Thanks for the warning, but this is man's work."

"What, trespassing, acting stupid, or both?" Scarlett said, feeling her hold on her phone tighten.

"You wouldn't get it!" he said angrily, as he reached his hands out to the bars of the gate, daring Scarlett to stop him.

"All right, go ahead," Scarlett said, putting her left hand on her hip and resting her weight nonchalantly on one leg. "I've never seen electroshock therapy in action before."

"What?" one of the boys asked, blinking.

"Pha-sers to stun. You hope. Never can tell with dials, you know. It's when a thousand volts of e-lec-tricity goes charging through your body and... Well, you've seen those people in the hospital who are hooked up to machines to stay alive?" Scarlett drawled, looking at her fingernails. "Sad thing is, those e-lectrified folks are the lucky ones."

"What do you mean the lucky ones?" the tallest boy said.

"Well..." Scarlett said, dragging out the word for dramatic effect. "Let's just say that you ought to be grateful that Willy activated the bars when he did."

"Why?" the boy of average height asked.

"Kid, this ain't the first time I've been to this gate," Scarlett explained, pretending she was trying to recall a memory. "I remember one kid managed to sneak in before I could get to him. All I saw was something shadowy take him somewhere. Then I heard a scream. He came back with a blank stare, and his head was completely cut open. I couldn't make out much, all that dripping blood, except that it looked like a piece of his brain was missing."

The boys just stared. How could this vision of loveliness be talking such horror? They didn't really believe her, but maybe that didn't matter. She was too beautiful to offend.

"You know, I just remembered that I have a dentist appointment today," the shortest boy said. Then he took off running, waving good-bye to Scarlett. The other two made up their own excuses and left.

"Oh, and boys?" Scarlett called, waving as she watched their retreating backs. "Tell your friends."

A/N: Well, there it is. The next chapter of The Golden Ticket Frenzy. Have to admit, I feel a little guilty for not updating this story and Unexpected, as often as I should. Anyway, make sure to leave a review. They keep me motivated. The offer for cameos still stands. So far, the only people who have taken it are artycomicfangirl and onlyindreams145.


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